Dual pressure sensitive adhesive sheet for instore signage

ABSTRACT

A tandem system of metering and donor rolls is used to apply two different adhesives to a fully adhesive backed multilayer sheet to produce variably distributed adhesives and properties. Each of the two adhesives is unique and is cured differently to create a layer of adhesive that has differing adhesive properties on the sheet. A clear adhesive is applied to a top portion of cards before they are cut from the sheet and has a higher tackiness than the adhesive applied to the rest of the cards on the sheet in order to reduce glue buildup on blades cutting the cards from the sheet.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/947,953 filed Apr.9, 2018 by the same inventors and claims priority therefrom. Thisdivisional application is being filed in response to a restrictionrequirement in that prior application.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for applyingadhesives to signage for store shelving, and more particularly, to animproved apparatus and method for selectively applying unique adhesivesonto sheets of multilayer substrates.

Some multilayer substrates currently being used for instore signage are13.875″×13.33″, but not limited to size, fully adhesive backed andinclude: top printable paper; permanent adhesive; polymer carrier;pressure sensitive adhesive; and a release liner. The pressure sensitiveadhesive is added across the entire multilayer substrate and then curedto a level that attempts to balance the pressure sensitive propertieswith adhesive buildup issues. Adhesive buildup on rotary blades used tocut the multilayer substrates in X and Y directions into 18 2″×3″ cards,or other size combinations, can occur in high volume requirements, forexample, about every 2000 sheets. Currently, custom oiling systems areused in an attempt to keep the rotary blades lubricated to reduceadhesion of the adhesive to the blades. In addition, multiple cleaningoperations are undertaken if shifts are employed. Unfortunately, boththe oiling operation and cleaning requires operator intervention whichleads to error in oil quantity, timing and damage to the blades duringcleaning.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved apparatus and process forcutting polymer lined and fully backed adhesive signage stock for storeshelving that reduces adhesion of pressure sensitive adhesive to rotaryblades.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, an answer to this need is disclosed herein that includes amultilayer substrate pressure sensitive adhesives layout created by adual system of adhesive rolls that allows the dual system to applycustomized adhesive to two adhesive areas of card images positioned onthe multilayer substrate: clear top edge adhesive of higher tackiness toattach the sign to store shelves; and backing adhesive for the printeddisplay with each adhesive being cured differently.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various of the above-mentioned and further features and advantages willbe apparent to those skilled in the art from the specific article ormethods described in the example(s) below, and the claims. Thus, theywill be better understood from this description of these specificembodiment(s), including the drawing figures (which are approximately toscale) wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a polymer lined fully backed adhesive storesignage multilayer substrate with indicia thereon;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an XY slitting system that slits multilayersubstrates into individual cards; and

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a dual tandem system in accordance withthe present disclosure that applies two zones of differently curedpressure sensitive adhesives to multilayer substrates.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

For a general understanding of the features of the disclosure, referenceis made to the drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals havebeen used throughout to identify identical elements.

In accordance with the present disclosure, a front view illustration ofa multilayer substrate 10 is shown in FIG. 1 that includes paper 13 onwhich sales strip images of several cards are printed, a permanentadhesive (not shown), a clear polymer carrier 14 that adds strength tothe substrate, a pressure sensitive adhesive (not shown) and a releaseliner (not shown). The sales strip images on paper 13 are configured tonot extend into predetermined areas of clear polymer 14 in order toallow that portion of clear polymer 14 to be used for attaching to storeshelving. The multilayer substrates 10 are cut into individual cards asshown in FIG. 2 where sheets 10 are conveyed from a conventional printer11 onto a first table of cylindrical rollers 20 and into conventionalcutter 30 that includes rotary blades that are moved into grooves in astationary rotating member for engagement with substrate 10 of FIG. 1orthogonal to a lengthwise dimension of the substrate. The substratesare then conveyed onto a second conveyor with cylindrical rollers 22that conveys the substrates into a second conventional cutter 40 whichincludes stationary rotating blades positioned to extend into a groovein a mating member in order to cut through the bottom of the substrate10 in-line with a lengthwise dimension of the substrate and theresulting separate cards 12 from the cutting are then forwarded intoseparate bins at collection station 50.

The configuration of multilayer substrate 10 in FIG. 1 reduces adhesionof pressure sensitive adhesive to rotary blades of cutters 30 and 40 byfacilitating adhesives on the substrate to be customized across thesubstrate and to be optimized for individual functions. As shown in FIG.3 , a multiple pressure sensitive adhesive layout on multilayersubstrate 101 is accomplished with a dual tandem system 100 thatincludes a metering roll 102 for applying sign backing adhesive fromsump 104 onto donor roll 106 which is in contact with a transfer roll108 that in turn applies the backing adhesive onto a web fed substrate101. Transfer roll 108 is driven by drive rolls 110. Donor roll 106applies a low tack adhesive to a portion of multilayer substrate 100 isa sign backing adhesive that will subsequently adhere to paper 13. Driverolls 110 continue conveying multilayer substrate 101 into a second andhigh tack adhesive application that includes an adhesive sump 120 whichpresents a high tack adhesive to metering roll 122 that in turn depositsit onto a donor roll 124 that contacts transfer roll 126 for applying toportions of substrate 101 that corresponds to clear top 14 portions ofthe multilayer substrates 10 in FIG. 1 . The raised rings 125 and 127 ondonor rolls 106 and 124, respectively, correspond to the width of paperportions 13 and clear polymer carrier portions 14 of individual cardspositioned on multilayer substrates 10. Thus, an adhesive system isshown that uses a tandem system of donor rolls that allow for theapplication of differing adhesives to specific zones of continuous feedmedia 101 during a converting process. A converting process being theprocess of taking rolls of paper or other material and adding layers ofother material to include multiple layers including adhesives and orliners. Further processes may also be included that remove or alter theroll to add lists, perforations or cut sheets from the roll. Eachadhesive is then exposed to the appropriate curing process (i.e., air,heat, UV, etc.) to create multilayer substrate 10 that has two or moreadhesive zones with varying cures and adhesive properties thatfacilitate differing adhesive properties across a substrate whilelimiting exposure of blades in cutters 30 and 40 to the high tackyadhesives.

In recapitulation, a method and apparatus for producing a dual pressuresensitive adhesive sheet for in-store signage having cards thereon thatincludes providing a clear top portion of each card with an adhesivethat is cured to be tacky and flexible for adhesion to store shelveswhile the rest of the backer sheet has an adhesive that is cured toprovide adhesion to the backer sheet, but does not require the flexibletackiness needed to hold a card to a shelf. A backer sheet often calledthe carrier can be a material such as PET—Polyethylene Terephthalate.This is the layer or sheet that allows for a permanent type adhesive onone side to attach the written label and for the pressure sensitiveadhesive on the other side to a allow the label to adhere to a shelf andto hold the remaining release liner secure to carrier or backer. Withthis use of multiple adhesives, the cutting/slitting blades no longerhave to cut through an entire sheet of highly tacky adhesive thatquickly build up on the blades. The tacky adhesive can be applied andfocused only on a small percentage of the entire sheet and only wherethat adhesive property is required. This reduces cutter blade exposureto tacky adhesives and proportionally reduces the adhesive buildup onthe cutter blades, and thus, reduces cleaning and oiling requirements.

The claims, as originally presented and as they may be amended,encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements,equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments andteachings disclosed herein, including those that are presentlyunforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise fromapplicants/patentees and others. Unless specifically recited in a claim,steps or components of claims should not be implied or imported from thespecification or any other claims as to any particular order, number,position, size, shape, angle, color, or material.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for applying dual pressure sensitiveadhesives to individual portions of media, comprising: providing mediafor receiving dual pressure sensitive adhesives thereon, said mediaincluding paper portions and clear polymer carrier portions; providingdrive rolls for conveying said media to a downstream location; providinga pair of transfer rolls forming nips with said drive rolls forconveying said media to said downstream location; providing a pair ofsumps with each holding a pressure sensitive adhesive of a differenttackiness; providing a pair of rotatable cylinders with a portion ofeach extending into a respective sump of said pair of sumps, said pairof rotatable cylinders being adapted to pick up pressure sensitiveadhesives from said pair of sumps; providing a pair of donor rollsmating with said pair of rotatable cylinder members with said pair ofdonor rolls being adapted to pickup said pressure sensitive adhesivesfrom said pair of rotatable cylinders, and wherein a first of said pairof donor rolls includes surrounding raised rings corresponding to saidpaper portions of said media and a second of said pair of donor rollsincludes surrounding raised rings corresponding to said clear polymercarrier portions of said media, respectively; and providing a pair oftransfer rolls adapted to transfer said pressure sensitive adhesivesfrom said pair of donor rolls to said media.
 2. The method of claim 1,including configuring said raised rings on said pair of donor rolls toeffect a non-overlapping application of said pressure sensitiveadhesives to said media.
 3. The method of claim 1, including providingthe first of said pair of donor rolls with a raised rings of a firstwidth and providing the second of said pair of donor rolls with raisedrings a second width, said first and second donor rolls being configuredto provide non-overlapping application of pressure sensitive adhesivesto said media.
 4. The method of claim 3, including providing a first ofthe pressure sensitive adhesives in one of said pair of sumps.
 5. Themethod of claim 4, including providing a second and different of thepressure sensitive adhesives in the other of said pair of sumps.
 6. Themethod of claim 5, including applying said first pressure sensitiveadhesive to said paper portions of said media.
 7. The method of claim 6,including applying said second pressure sensitive adhesive to said clearpolymer carrier portions of said media.
 8. The method of claim 7,including providing said first pressure sensitive adhesive with a firstadhesion.
 9. The method of claim 8, including providing said secondpressure sensitive adhesive with a different adhesion from said firstadhesion.
 10. The method of claim 9, including positioning a first ofsaid pair of sumps with said first pressure sensitive adhesive upstreamof the second of said pair of sumps.
 11. A method for applying differentpressure sensitive adhesives to predetermined portions of substrates,comprising: providing substrates for receiving pressure sensitiveadhesives thereon, said substrates including separate paper and clearpolymer carrier portions; providing drive rolls for conveying saidsubstrates to receive said pressure sensitive adhesives; providing firstand second transfer rolls forming nips with said drive rolls forconveying said substrates to receive said pressure sensitive adhesives;providing first and second sumps with each holding a pressure sensitiveadhesive; providing a first and second rotatable cylinders having aportion of each extending into a respective sump of said first andsecond sumps, said first and second rotatable cylinders being configuredto pick up the pressure sensitive adhesives from said first and secondsumps; providing first and second of donor rolls mating with said firstand second rotatable cylinders with said first and second donor rollsbeing adapted to pick up the pressure sensitive adhesives from saidfirst and second rotatable cylinders; providing said first and seconddonor rolls with raised rings corresponding to said paper portions andsaid clear polymer carrier portions of said substrates, respectively;and providing first and second transfer rolls adapted to transfer saidpressure sensitive adhesives from said first and second donor rolls tosaid substrates.
 12. The method of claim 11, including configuring saidraised rings on said first and second donor rolls to effect anon-overlapping application of said adhesives to said substrates. 13.The method of claim 11, including providing said first of said donorrolls with raised rings of a first width and providing said second ofsaid of said donor rolls with raised rings of a second width to effectnon-overlapping application of the pressure sensitive adhesives to saidsubstrates.
 14. The method of claim 13, including providing a first ofthe pressure sensitive adhesives in said first sump.
 15. The method ofclaim 14, including providing a second and different of the pressuresensitive adhesives in said second sump.
 16. The method of claim 15,including applying said first pressure sensitive adhesive to said paperportions of said substrates.
 17. The method of claim 16, includingapplying said second pressure sensitive adhesive to said clear polymercarrier portions of said media.
 18. The method of claim 17, includingproviding said first pressure sensitive adhesive with a first adhesion.19. The method of claim 18, including providing said second pressuresensitive adhesive with an adhesion different from said first adhesion.20. The method of claim 19, including positioning said first sumpupstream of said second sump.